Forbes: GTA IV poses threat to Wii

by Ross Miller on May 5th 2008 11:56AM

Someone's knocking on Nintendo's door, and he just drove through seven red lights in a hijacked car with a shotgun in tow to get there. Forbes has published a piece on how Grand Theft Auto IV's success threatens the Nintendo Wii since the console, you know, doesn't have the game. In fact, that's all the article seems to be saying: the Wii is doing great, but because it doesn't have GTA IV, that money-printing success might be at a halt.

While that's how the article is framed, the direction seems to split off from there, with the author talking about GTA IV's success juxtaposed with complaints about the Wii's hardware, online and abundance of shovelware -- he even bring up Chris Heck's duct tape rant. Said the article, "The problem is, it could get tougher and tougher to go the other way. It's hard to imagine how the sprawling world of Grand Theft Auto IV--which already taxes the multicore processors powering the XBox and Playstation--could be recreated on the Wii."

We're not saying Nintendo doesn't have problems with shovelware or appealing to the more hardcore gamer crowd, but we also think the way the article presents its case makes the GTA IV issue feel a little taped on. If the UK Wii Fit launch is any indication, Nintendo's money train is still right on track.

Source

Tags: Casual, Grand-Theft-Auto, Grand-Theft-Auto-IV, GTA-IV, Nintendo, PS3, Rockstar, Wii, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (102)

ummmm no. While yeah GTAIV is definitely a huge game, it isn't going to have much of an impact on the Wii.

Exactly, they're two different worlds. The author is obviously out of touch and over paid.

it will have an impact if there are former wii owners out there, like myself, who may have gone to gamestop to trade in their wii for credit toward a console that can play gta4.

bad move rev. bad move

HAHAHA how much did Gamestop give you? $50? $100?

How?

Sup Fenix. I tried to IM yesturday while you were playing GTA IV. But I guess you were really into it that didn't pick up. lol! The game rocks.

Im stuck on this mission right now >:( where you get the coke out of the old hospital lol

Yeah everyone seems to get stuck on that one for a while (myself included). The only way I did it was having a ton of ammo for the SMG and assualt rifle and inched my way out of the building. Also when I got out I went behind the building instead of fighting the cops parked outside.

Fenix...

That's an easy one. Instead of trying to fight the cops, run through the hole in the fence, past the cops, and jump in the water. That's what I did...if I'm thinking of the right mission.

I completed that 2 hours ago. In the end I literally just ran out and dived in the car. It was more fluke than anything. I swear, that mission almost cost me a controller.

Cool, Ill try that when I get home. Thanks Knight!

I fought my way inside, then I ran out when the cops came in.

Sadly I finally broke down and used codes to beat that mission.

I feel dirty.

It's ok, Vegeta. It's just a game. Play God all you want... just make sure you unlock the "One Man Army" and "Walk Free" achievements before are your gamesaves are tainted with cheatcodes, mm'kay?

CORRECTION: all* your gamesaves...

No Niko don't! you are not in the old country anymore you don't have to do this.

No more killing!

Soccer moms don't like GTA IV. So I can't really see how this will affect the Wii.

Sup man I was trying to find my headset last night and by the time I found it you were offline =/ GTA is the shizz que no?

I work in the electronics department of Sam's Club and to this very day, I still get about 5-10 calls a day asking if we have any Wiis in stock. And when we do have them in stock, they sell out within a few hours of the store opening.

I can attest that at least in my area, the Wii hype train is as healthy as ever.

Sup Fenix. I tried to IM yesturday while you were playing GTA IV. But I guess you were really into it that didn't pick up. lol! The game rocks.

Meant for fenix knight. Stupid reply crap.

My bad dawg I think my daughter got a hold of my headset so I was looking all over for it.

So what? Yeah GTAIV is big but the Wii had Brawl which was also Big and no one was "OMG the suxbox and teh flopstation are teh ghey for not having Smash X".

Because those games haven't yet sold as many copies as GTAIV did on the first day it was out.

GTA ever since 3 has been a major mainstream and big numbers selling game, I would hardly call it an insult to sell less than it.

I think it will have an impact since GTAIV is definately a turning point. Something that simply is not possible on the Wii and many developers who have already taken a "why bother" approach to Wii development will continue on that path. It may even have the potential to completely divide the hardcore gaming audience. And I'm sure as the NPD numbers come in, we'll find GTA IV has been a huge jumping point for gamers into the next gen.

But will it kill Wii? Nope. It will justify the more expensive hardware only. It will be the showcase item people will use when trying to get their friends to buy a 360 or PS3. And hopefully, by impact, will finally start forcing some Wii developers to have ambitions.

Actually agree with Fidlious I think it will just make the divide deeper between the two markets and upper market gamers back Ps3/xbox360 and more tradition game developers follow.

Only thing I don't agree with is that any developer this generation will do anything but their tried and true graphics, games. Theres is no reason for them to change this time around, something drastic would have to happen to make them think about the Wii as a gaming machine, and I don't think the market is in that kind of trouble yet.

I don't know... you see, what it takes is a developer to say "what can we do with this controller to make it fun?" As I said before and I know I'll continue to get slammed, I do believe We Cheer is a groundbreaking title. If you watch the videos, you actually see the nunchuck is tracked individually from the remote. SOME companies are trying to discover that breakout on the Wii and if they play to the controllers strengths, it could be awesome. It just takes the right developer to convince the right puiblisher to invest.

So I don't really feel game design enhancements are doomed on any particular console. I do see the time of revolutions being over though. As Humphrey Bogart once said "There are only seven plots in Hollywood." As an industry, we've found our seven plots, now it's time to refine them. I don't think GTA IV is our mediums Citizen Kane, but it is getting close.

"I don't think GTA IV is our mediums Citizen Kane, but it is getting close."

Pretty good statement. I think that a game won't have that impact until it can push emotion better than we do today. Get a game to make people cry and they might get there.

Well... I cried during a couple games. Including most recently Crisis Core (couldn't help it. Your last two hours are spent with the world turning to shit just to watch the last 20 minutes being nothing but Zack's death). But what I mean is there have hardly been any examples that define the medium outside of it's host.

Citizen Kane was the first time someone took the movie camera beyond "a better stageshow." Used the medium to completely mimmick the time and destroy preconceived notions such as time flow, or needing a definitive answer to a question. Gaming hasn't seen out Citizen Kane yet, but we are getting closer. And like Citizen Kane, I expect it to be initially loathed as all breakout set pieces are. Hell, there was a period when the Eiffel Tower was considered a scar on France, inexcusably ugly.

I can't imagine this'll affect the hardware sales to any significant extent. Yeah, no big deal for me the Wii doesn't have it, that's obviously the bonus of being a multi-platform owner :)

The Wii also clearly couldn't handle it either, not the way the game is done on PS3/360, I don't think anyone would argue that.

That being said, I did quite enjoy choking people in the Godfather on Wii.

Haha, you guys are getting trolled by Forbes.

the wii is a breathe of fresh air from the stale dusty clap trap that has become the video game industry. im still waiting patiently for pikmin 3 and starfox wii.

Once you dust off your Wii that air will be less fresh.

Sarcasm?

This is just as illogical as saying the PS3/360 will suffer for not having Mario Kart.

I think Niko is a pretty cool guy. Eh isn't on the Wii and doesn't afraid of anything.

I think Zertoss is a pretty cool guy. Eh uses stupid 4chan memes and doesn't afraid of anything.

Sorry..but I really hate that meme..

So you decide to post your own version of the meme right before stating how much you hate it? lolwut?

I think strangebums a pretty cool guy eh fails and doesn't afraid of anything

That's the funniest meme I have ever read. I am actually tearing up...

Wii was doomed from the beginning. Its just a matter of time..once Wii owners realize what they're missing on (GTAIV, MGS4, GOW2, FFXIII, Bioshock, RE5 etc) they will convert

I own or will own all those games and still have a dozen games for my Wii. Amazing isn't it?

"Wii was doomed from the beginning."

Ha ha ha ha, oh you.

Guess what: not everyone is interested in GTA IV or GOW2... like the tens of millions of parents buying games for their kids. Open your eyes, even "Cars" outsold "Gears of War"!

GTAIV is a big game and deserve /most/ of the hype, but the Wii appeals to a larger demographic. While I love both GTA and the Wii, many Wii gamers wouldn't look twice at the game. The Wii still sells every console a store gets and GTA isn't going to slow that down.

I'm tired of this "wii can't handle it!!" crap.

PS2 could run GTA:SA, GCN was more powerful than PS2, and Wii is even more powerful. While it won't run GTA IV just like it's running on the other two, it would be perfectly possible to compile a version just the same, only a couple less polys and sans dynamic lighting and fancy shadowing. It'd still look way better than SA, and could provide a perfectly acceptable version of the game.

Just because it won't be able to play it with all the gfx bells and whistles doesn't mean it can't handle the game at all, so fuck off already with that shit.

yeah, I'm pissed >:(

Chalito: Just like nobody would want to play Wiisports or Mario Galaxy without the wiimote I doubt many would want to play GTAIV without the now hyper realistic graphics and vast scope of the city. Its not just the size its the amount of detail in every corner. Its just not possible on the Wii. Anything less isn't GTAIV. Wii is great for what it is but don't be delusional about whats possible on it. What makes GTAIV so great will be lost on the Wii so why even bother? It should stick to its strengths thats why it succeeds even now against such big games like GTAIV, Halo 3, and MGS4.

I am SOOO tired of nintarded individuals thinking Next Gen = Graphics. Could this game be done on the Wii sans graphics? Yes. Would it be the same? No, actually. Because if you actually PLAY the fucking game, you'd see it truly is a night and day experience in every way that Assassin's Creed was. The players react to you, the AI of NPCs is much, much better, the physics make this game, and the sheer population of the world (no "fields" with a tree and MAYBE a trashcan) cannot be done on the Wii without significant performance. San Andreas was huge, yes. But San Andreas was also very empty and NPC sparse.

If graphics are the ONLY hit you think you'll take with a GTA port, than I pity you.

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Forbes: GTA IV poses threat to Wii

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